Stilt



J. J. BYRNE ET AL July 21, 1925.

STILT Filed OG t. l'. 1924 x HH l V 53|.

intim..

Patented `luly 21, 1925.

i` uniTED,fs-'raresA PAT'EN'T'OFFICE. i

:JoHN .1..BYRNEAND CLARENCE n HEUBECK, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Application filed October 1, 1,924. Serial No. 741,027.

vented cert ain new and useful Improvements in Stilts; and we do herebydeclarev the following to `be a full, clear, and exact description oft-he same, reference being had to `the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification? This invention relateslto improvements instilts 'and has for its primary obJect to .provide a stilt which can be`lengthened y while a'p'erson is-walking on them so as to give the effect`that the walker is gradually increasing in height. ln this respect, thestilt differs from inostof the prior stilts wherein the foot rest orsupport can only be adjusted vertically to a position in which it mustremain while the stilt is in use.

A further object is to arrange `the mechanism for elongating the stiltwhereby said mechanism can be actuated simply by turning the stilthandle, this usually being done to one stilt while the otherissupporting the walkers weight. y

A further object is to provide an vautomatically operated mechanismwhich will render the lengthening mechanism inoperative and which willpermit the `walker to lower himself without getting ofi' the In theaccompanying drawings,- Figure 1 is an elevational view ofa stiltembodying the `present invention. e

i Fig. 2 isla longitudinal'sectional viewof the stilt. f

Figx is a sectional view on the line 3M?, of'Figi2. L

In accordance with the present invention, the stilt is composedessentially of two sections'Va treadsection 10 and a handle section 11,thev two sections being connected stilt. inoperative so as to preventtotal withdrawal port the walkers" weight, there is loosely mounted vonthe screwl a ratchet member 14 with which a pivoted pawl 16 cooperates.Saidpawl is pivoted in aslot 17 in the screw 13 (which is made hollow`for a purpose presently to be set forth) and revolves with the screwand handle whereby each time thel handle is rotated to elevate thewalker the pawl 16 will slipvover one or more teeth. The ratchet,however, is held against rotation so that the handlecannot be rotated inthe opposite direction and the walker can, therefore, lengthen thestilts, stepby step, each time he lifts l-the `stilt off the ground.

The means for holding the ratchet against rotation preferably `consistso-f a tubular metallic member 18 'attached to the ratchet and formedwith one or more longitudinally extending grooves 19"with whichVradially projecting pins 2,() inthe niitv12 engage.

The foot rest .24:` is carried by this tubular l' member 18. To hold theratchet in proper position longitudinally of screw 13 where it willproperly cooperate with pa-wl 16 a stop member 21 is secured on thescrew by a cross pin 22 and to hold theipawl yieldingly il' inengagement with said `ratchet there is provided a spring 231 w i Afterthe person on the stilts has withdrawn the screw from` the nut and treadportion a predetermined distance itis pre-` ferred that the holding pawl`be rendered of the screw as well as to allow the person on the stilt tograduallylet the screw recede in the tread portion `to give the Vneffectof the walkerl growing shorter. .He `can let himself down gradually `orsuddenly, if

he' Wishes, as a cushioning element'or shook absorber 25 is interposedbetween stop 21 and nut12. u

In the preferred arrangement for automat-ically releasing the `pawl 16,said pawl is pivoted intermediate its ends with one end projectingintothe hollow screw 13. At tachedto thisend of the pawl is a wire 26which extends down to the end of the screw `where it is attached to a`disc 27 whose edge projects beyond the periph ery of the screwwherebywhen said screw` haslbeen lwithdrawn `far enough to bring said disc into`engagement with nut 12 a further lltnrninglof the handle and screw willresult in said disc `and wire pulling down on the inner end ofthepawlandV disengaging the .pawl from the ratchet.V

i section, a handle section., one of said sections |being rotatable withrespect to the other, a foot rest, and meansoperab-le b-y rotation ofone of said sections for elongating the stilt.

2. In a stilt, the combination of a tread section, a handle sectionrotatable with respect to the tread section, means operable by rotationof the handle section for moving one of said sections longitudinall;7 ofthe other to elongate the stilt, and a foot rest mounted on one of saidsections.

3. In a stilt, the combination with a tread section, a handle sectionrotatably supported on the tread section, a foot rest carried by saidhandle section, and means operable by rotation of the handle section formoving said handle section longitudinally. of the tread section. Y

et. In a stilt, the combination of a tread section, a. handle sectionrotatably supported on the tread section, a foot rest on the handlesection, means operable by rotation of the' handle section in onedirection to move said section longitudinally of the tread section, andmea-ns for releasably locking the handle section against rotation inthe. opposite direction.

5^. In-a stilt, the combination of a tread section, a handle sectionrotatably supported on 4the tread sect-ion, a foot rest on the handlesection, means operable by rotation of the handle section in onedirection to move said section longitudinally of the treadsection, meansfor releasably locking the handle section against rotation in theopposite direction, and means for re'- leasing the locking means whenthestilt has been elongated to a predetermined length.

6. In a stilt, the combination or" a tread section, `a handle sectionrotatably supported on the tread section, a foot rest,`a helicallythreaded screw mounted in thehandle section, a nut carried by the treadsection lreyed on said screw, and means for holding` saidnut againstrotation whereby rotation of the `handlewill cause said handle and the'-section, a nut mounted in said section, a

handle section, a foot rest, a helically threaded screw mounted in thehandle section and cooperating with said nut, said handle and screwbeing rotatable with respect to the tread section and nut, a locking'member loose on the screw andy provided with 4`a circular series ofindentations in one face, means for preventing rotation of said lockingmember, and a pawl cooperating with the indentations in said lockingmember for locking said handle and screw against rotation in onedirection.

8. In a stilt, the combination with a handle section and a tread sectionrotatable with respect to each other, a toot rest, a nut secured in oneof said sections, a helically threaded screw secured in the othersection and cooperating with said nut, and means for releasably lockingsaid sections against rotation in one direction, said locking meanscomprising a ratchet and a pawl cooperating with said ratchet.

9. In a stilt, the combination with a handle section and a tread sectionrotatable with respect to each other, a foot rest, a nut secured in oneo1c said sections, a helically threaded screw secured in the othersection and cooperating with said nut, means for releasably locking saidsections against rotation in one direction, said locking meanscomprising a ratchet and a pawl cooperating with said ratchet, and meanstor antomatically releasing sa'rd pawl when said handle and treadsections have been rotated with respect to each other a predeterminednumber of times to iriern'iit the direction o rotation to be reversed.

10. In a stilt, the combination of a tread section, a handle sectionrotatably supported by the tread section, a nut mounted in the treadsection, a helically threaded screw secured in the handle section andcooperating lwith said nut, a ratchet member loose on said screwintermediate the handle and tread sections, a pawl carried by the handlecooperating with the ratchet to hold the handle against rotation in onedirection, a tubular member attached to the ratchet and enclosing aportion of said nut, there being cooperating elements on said tube andnut for preventing rotation of the tube and ratchet member.

11. In a stilt, the combination of a hollow tread section, a handlesection, a nut mounted in the tread section, a helically threaded screwmounted in the handle sectionl cooperating with said nut and telescopingwithin the hollow tread section, whereby rotation of the handle sectionwill withdraw the screwfrom the tread section and elongate the stilt.

12. In -a stilt, the combination of a hollow tread section, a handlesection, a nut lll) rotation of the handle section Will Withdraw thescrew from the tread section and elongate the stilt, a ratchet loose onthe screw, a pawl carried by the handle and cooperating With the ratchetto prevent rotation of the handle in the opposite direction, a tubularmember carried by the handle section telescoping over the tread sectionand nut, means on said nut and tubular member for holding the ratchetagainst rotation, and means for automatically disengaging the paWl fromsaid ratchet When'the stilt has attained a predetermined length to allowthe stilt to be restored toits original length.

13. In a stilt, the combination of a tread section, a handle section, afoot rest, means operable through the handle section for originalcontracted condition by Weight applied tothe foot rest, and meansreleasably locking the sections in any position during elongation of thestilt.

14. In a stilt, the combination of a handle section, a tread section, afoot rest, means for elongating the stilt and elevating the foot rest byrotation of one of said sections in one direction and for contractingthe stilt and lowering the Jfoot rest by rotation in the oppositedirection, and means for releasably locking said section against reverserotation.

JOHN J. BYRNE. CLARENCE D. HEUBECK.

